Trinity United Methodist Church Seattle blessing for homeless

Homeless arrive here on Friday


By Dean Wong

Monday, February 25, 2008

Twenty new residents will be moving into Ballard on Feb. 29 and they won't be owners of the numerous condominiums overwhelming the area.

Trinity United Methodist Church will be a permanent host for a SHARE/WHEEL (Seattle Housing and Resource Effort/Women's Housing Equality and Enhancement League) shelter. The group's Veteran's Hall facility is closing and moving its operation to Trinity.

"We are getting a SHARE shelter that is up and running. We are getting an intact group (of residents)," said Trinity United Methodist Church pastor Rich Lang.

The residents will be a mix of men and women. Some are couples. They will sleep in the church gymnasium on mats.

Lang said the church's vision is to eventually provide storage units for their belongings. A shower room is now being remodeled.

Trinity may provide a breakfast at some point in the future. Currently the church only has a Saturday lunch program for the homeless. Lang said neighbors around the church have seen the soup kitchen in operation for a year without incident.


Lang has met with the residents who will be coming to Ballard. "Many have jobs or are looking for work. They are highly functional people," said Lang.

He said the people he has met are working hard to get off the streets and are a stable group. Residents will have access to the church gymnasium from 9 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.
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http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/articles/2008/02/25/news/local_news/news04.txt

Looks like this church is taking the message of Christ as a moral value. Bravo!